Having enacted LGBT anti-discrimination protections in 1992 and home to an open and vocal LGBT-rights movement, Israel's stance on equality is radically different from many of its neighbors. How has Israel become a place where LGBT people have a level of equality and visibility unlike anywhere else in the Middle East? Slepian, the founder of A Wider Bridge, which helps the LGBT community and allies build deeper connections with Israel, serves on the board of the Jewish Community Federation (S.F. Bay Area) and on the SF Jewish Community Relations Council.